Preparations on track for Black Fins after second team camp

A dress rehearsal of beach events capped off the final day of
the Black Fins team camp on the Gold Coast yesterday in preparation
for the Lifesaving World Championships.

The team came together on the Gold Coast from July 8-17 for
their second of three team camps ahead of Rescue 2016.

They were put through intense training sessions and a dress
rehearsal of the Rescue 2016 programme as well as competing at the
Queensland Pool Championships.

As part of their team building activities, they had the
privilege of spending some time with Kiwi legend Shaun Quincey and
then had dinner and a Q and A session with Sir Graham Henry.

Team manager Mark Weatherall says it was great for the athletes
to meet them both and have them share their thoughts and wisdom
with the team.

Coach Jason Pocock says it was a very successful 10 days for the
Black Fins who are now only 40 days away from departing New Zealand
for the Lifesaving World Championships in the Netherlands in
September.

"It was good to get some racing in at the Queensland Pool
Championships last weekend and then follow that up with a dress
rehearsal of the Rescue 2016 programme. The last three days has
seen the team race in the pool for two days and on the beach for
one, he says.

"I'm very happy with the progress they're making and, in
particular, the skills being showed by the team as a whole. I'm
looking forward to continuing the hard work over the next few weeks
before the final team camp in mid-August."

Rescue 2016, the Lifesaving World Championships, will be held in
Eindhoven and Noordwijk in The Netherlands from September 1-18 and
the Black Fins will be looking to take out the title for the third
time in a row after first prising the title from Australia in
Adelaide in 2012 and again in France in 2014.

The men's line-up remains unchanged from Rescue 2014 and
includes former Olympic swimmers Steven Kent (Titahi Bay) and
Andrew McMillan (St Clair) along with Ironmen Max Beattie (Omanu)
and Cory Taylor (Midway) who took part in their first Kellogg's
Nutri-Grain series this year. They are joined by Paul
Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy) and Chris Dawson (Midway).

New Zealand will also be sending a Youth team known as the
Junior Black Fins. Like the Open team, the Youth team features six
male and six female athletes.

To keep up to date with the team's journey, visit the SLSNZ High
Performance Facebook page at www.facebook.com/slsnzhp or on Instagram
@slsnzhp.